Portugal

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Tours in Portugal

Blessed with sun-kissed beaches, vibrant fishing villages and scenic routes through pine forests and dunes, Portugal trips are fantastic for walkers and cyclists. The westernmost country of mainland Europe, there are approximately 943km of coastline here, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. While people have been flocking to the Algarve for decades, swathes of the rest of the country remain unexplored, although Lisbon has nudged its way onto travel editors' 'must visit' lists over recent years.

Portugal holidays offer huge diversity, with the landscape of each region creating a distinct identity: dive into the wild southwest corner – where world-class surf breaks await and meandering rivers beg to be explored by kayak – or take it easy in the lush, green setting of the north. Then there’s the Duoro Valley, where the vast forest, almond groves and terraced vineyards are UNESCO protected. Here there’s evidence of wine production dating back more than 2000 years, and ample opportunity to stop and sample as you go. And let’s not forget Madeira, and the Azores too…

Activities in Portugal

Expert view: Cycling the Douro Valley

The conditions you need for great wine – warm days, clean air, cooling onshore breezes and undulating landscapes – just so happen to combine to create seriously good cycling country too. Our range of Portugal tours includes self-guided cycling in the Douro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed land of vertiginously terraced valleys rising above the sinewy river below. This is Port country, and after some easy peddling through sun-dappled villages and extensive vineyards, stop for a glass of the local tipple or a leisurely meal of several courses….

“One of the highlights of this trip is the stunning accommodation, from a traditional olive oil estate to a Douro manor where you can help out in the kitchen,” says Exodus Product Manager Gina Eckersley. Of course, there’s no obligation to help out in the kitchen at all!

“All accommodation has been handpicked to showcase the very best of the area,” Gina says, adding that many places offer their own produce for dinner – such as delicate Portuguese wines, olives, home-baked bread and picked-that-day salads. “The route loosely follows the Douro river as the terrain changes from highland plateau, almond and olive groves, and becomes lush terraced vineyards.”

Responsible travel

We offer more than 500 holidays across 100 countries on all seven continents. And although we’ve grown in the past 40 years, our philosophy has stayed the same: to bring like-minded people together on authentic adventures, with minimal impact to the environments and cultures we visit. We work only with reputable partners, with whom we’ve built long-standing relationships, and participate in various community and environmental projects around the world. Read more about our responsible travel initiatives here.